Lori K. Gordon facts for kids

Lori K. Gordon (born January 20, 1958) is a talented artist. She is known for creating art using many different materials. Lori is also the founder and co-owner of the Marrakech Henna Art Cafe in Marrakech, Morocco.

She started Six Degrees Consortium, a group that uses art to talk about important social issues. This group also helps connect different cultures. Lori also founded El Fenn Maroc, an organization in Marrakech, Morocco. Her goal is to support artists in Morocco.

Lori K. Gordon is famous for her art series called The Katrina Collection. For this series, she used pieces of debris from Hurricane Katrina. This huge hurricane hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast in August 2005. Another famous work is "The Labat Project," which is now part of the Smithsonian Institution's collection. She also created "Six Degrees: West to East," which explores the differences between Western and Islamic cultures.

Lori was born and grew up in the Northern Plains. In 1991, she moved near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. She began showing her mixed media art in 2001. One of her biggest works from this time is an 8 by 10-foot art quilt. It is called "Labat: A Creole Legacy." The Smithsonian Institution bought this quilt for their permanent collection.

In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed her home and art studio. Her tools and supplies were ruined by strong winds and a huge storm surge. Lori decided to use the storm's debris to make new art. Her "Katrina Collection" has been shown in many places across the country.

Many famous people own her artwork. These include former presidents and First Ladies like Barack and Michelle Obama, and Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. Other collectors are news anchor Robin Roberts, singer Faith Hill, and sports announcer Jon Miller. Pieces from "The Katrina Collection" are also in public art collections. These include the Mississippi Humanities Council and the William J. Clinton Foundation.

Lori Gordon in the News and Art Shows

Lori Gordon's art has been featured by many news groups. In 2005, MSNBC showed her work. She was interviewed on National Public Radio (NPR) in 2006. Her art was also shown on the websites of the Associated Press and CBS that same year.

She has appeared in two documentaries. "The Art of the Storm" (2006) followed artists rebuilding their lives after Hurricane Katrina. "Mississippi Son" (2007) looked at how the storm affected the coast's culture. Lori's work was also featured on Mississippi Public Broadcasting. This included their show "Mississippi Roads" in 2008. The Christian Science Monitor also wrote about her art.

Magazines like South Mississippi Living and Mississippi Magazine have featured articles about her. Her work was included in a book about Mississippi artists called Walking on Water (2006). Lori also made a short film about her art. It was narrated by ESPN's Jon Miller.

Major Art Exhibitions

Lori Gordon's art has been shown in many important exhibitions. The South Arkansas Art Center hosted her work in 2006. The Museum of the Southwest featured her art in 2007. She had shows at Sumner Dene Gallery in Albuquerque for several years. Other galleries that showed her work include Serenity Gallery and Quarter Moon Gallery in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

She has had nearly 100 solo art shows. She has also been part of over 70 group exhibitions. One important show was at the William J. Clinton Presidential Library. Another was "Impact on the Gulf" in New York City. In 2007, the Mississippi Arts Commission invited her to be a featured artist. In 2008, her art was chosen for The Katrina Museum in Gulfport, Mississippi. The University of Southern Mississippi's Katrina Research Center displayed her work for four months in 2009, 2010, and 2012.

Awards and Support for Her Art

Lori Gordon has received many grants and awards for her art. She got grants from important foundations like the Pollock-Krasner Foundation (2005). She also received support from the Gottlieb Foundation (2006) and the Andy Warhol Foundation (2006). The Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans also gave her a grant in 2006.

In 2007, she received the Artist Fellowship from the Mississippi Arts Commission. She also got several other grants from them. Other honors include commissions from the Mississippi Humanities Council (2005 and 2006). The State of Mississippi also commissioned her work in 2006. She received commissions from the American Red Cross (2008) and Habitat for Humanity (2008).

In 2006, she was chosen to be part of Southern Artistry. This was a project by the Southern Arts Federation and Carnegie Mellon. Lori is listed on the Mississippi Arts Commission Artist Roster. She often teaches workshops on how to make paper collages.

Other Important Work

Lori Gordon has helped many charity groups. She has given free talks to different organizations across the country. These include Elderhostel, Job Core, and several groups of schoolchildren. She also spoke to Katrina relief groups and art organizations.

In 2004, she was invited to speak to the Mississippi House of Representatives. She talked about "The Labat Project." Lori teaches workshops for both kids and adults. These workshops teach her special collage and assemblage art techniques. She has also helped organize art shows in many places. These include Moss Beach, California, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Richmond, Virginia.

Lori is a founding member of The Artists of 220 Main. This art gallery in Bay St. Louis won awards. It opened just five weeks after Hurricane Katrina. She also helped start The Arts Hancock County. She was in charge of publicity and was a board member there from 2004 to 2008.

She is a member of several art groups. These include Del Ray Artisans and the South Arkansas Arts Center. Lori has also written articles about art for magazines like Art Gulf Coast. In 2014, Lori and her partner Rachid Karkouch opened the Marrakech Henna Art Cafe. This cafe in Marrakech, Morocco, shows art from many countries. It is also home to El Fenn Maroc, the organization Lori founded to support artists in Morocco.